We sat around Pattie's small table in her small kitchen. It wasn't much to look at, but it somehow had a more home-y feel than the entire house that John had bought for Julian, the baby (when it came), and the two of us. I loved it.
"Did you two grow up around here?" I asked them, sipping on the tea as I watched them watch me.
"Kenya." Pattie replied, putting her teacup down, "then we came back when I was about nine, and moved around a bit. I went to a boarding school." Jenny nodded.
"Did you?" Jenny asked.
I shook my head. "No, I grew up in America. Paul's my half brother, really, though not many people know that. When I was seventeen, I moved to Liverpool with my stepfather, but he died just a few days after we arrived. After that, my biological father took me in... Paul and I moved down to London with the rest of the boys about eight or nine months ago."
"So what band is your brother in?"
I was quiet. Would they think less of me if I told them about The Beatles?
"You said they're in America, right?" Jenny asked me. I nodded. She was silent for a few seconds before she asked, "what's your fiance's name?"
"John."
I knew that she was putting it together herself, but I let her.
"Em?" I waited for Jenny to ask the inevitable question, "your brother... is his surname McCartney?"
My silence gave them their answer - or Jenny's, anyway.
She squealed.
"Your brother is Paul McCartney!" She jumped up, almost knocking the tea over, and shocking Pattie enough that she stood up as well.
"Jenny?" Pattie asked, "who is he?"
"Only the most gorgeous guy in the most amazing band ever!" She turned to me, "sorry if that's weird, I -"
"It's fine." I told her honestly. "There's fans outside the house all the time, and they're all exactly the same." I paused, "I'm used to it."
"Wow," Jenny sat back down and Pattie did too, "imagine being the sister of Paul McCartney..."
"Of The Beatles?" Pattie asked finally realising who we were talking about.
I nodded. "My fiance's -"
"John Lennon!" Jenny squealed. "Oh wow -"
"You said that already, Jenny." Pattie smiled into her teacup.
"I know, but -"
I smiled, "you like them, then, Jenny?" She nodded enthusiastically. "Well when they're home, you should come over and meet them - you both should -"
"I'm not sure they'll appreciate meeting me when I don't even know their music." Pattie replied kindly.
"They'll love you for it." I told her, "things have gotten... a little hectic lately. There are fans everywhere all of the time, always ringing the phone, always screaming wherever we go. It's quite frightening sometimes... the boys don't like it either, so I'm sure that they'll like that you see them as four individual people rather than one collective group."
Pattie replied, "I'll look forward to it, then."
Jenny nodded enthusiastically, agreeing with her older sister.
I looked at the clock, "I'm going to have to head back now, ladies, I've got a little boy who needs me."
"Julian?" I nodded. I hadn't told them the name of John's son - our son, really - but I knew that it had been printed in the newspapers a few weeks ago, so Jenny would probably have read it and have remembered his name. "Have you got a photo?"
I reached into my bag, took my purse out and showed them the tiny little passport-sized photo. They both cooed. I stood up and smiled, "it was nice to meet you."
"And you!" They chorused.
"Could we have your number?"
I bit my lip, "you won't give it to anybody, will you?"
Pattie shook her head. "Of course not -"
"Pattie's a model," Jenny said proudly, her chest puffing out as she looked at her sister, "she knows what it's like to be harassed -"
Pattie chuckled uncomfortably, "not to the extent that rock stars do, I'm sure, Jenny." I smiled and reached into my bag again, taking out my little notebook and pen. I scribbled my number onto a blank page, ripped it out then gave it to Jenny, who looked like she was about to combust she was so excited.
"Bye!" I hurried out of the door, accompanied by their cheerful well wishes.